1 Corinthians 9

¹ Am not I an apostle? am not I free? Jesus Christ our Lord have I not seen? my work are not ye in the Lord?

² if to others I am not an apostle — yet doubtless to you I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.

³ My defence to those who examine me in this;

⁴ have we not authority to eat and to drink?

⁵ have we not authority a sister — a wife — to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

⁶ or only I and Barnabas, have we not authority — not to work?

⁷ who doth serve as a soldier at his own charges at any time? who doth plant a vineyard, and of its fruit doth not eat? or who doth feed a flock, and of the milk of the flock doth not eat?

⁸ According to man do I speak these things? or doth not also the law say these things?

⁹ for in the law of Moses it hath been written, ’thou shalt not muzzle an ox treading out corn;’ for the oxen doth God care?

¹⁰ or because of us by all means doth He say [it]? yes, because of us it was written, because in hope ought the plower to plow, and he who is treading [ought] of his hope to partake in hope.

¹¹ If we to you the spiritual things did sow — great [is it] if we your fleshly things do reap?

¹² if others do partake of the authority over you — not we more? but we did not use this authority, but all things we bear, that we may give no hindrance to the good news of the Christ.

¹³ Have ye not known that those working about the things of the temple — of the temple do eat, and those waiting at the altar — with the altar are partakers?

¹⁴ so also did the Lord direct to those proclaiming the good news: of the good news to live.

¹⁵ And I have used none of these things; neither did I write these things that it may be so done in my case, for [it is] good for me rather to die, than that any one may make my glorying void;

¹⁶ for if I may proclaim good news, it is no glorying for me, for necessity is laid upon me, and woe is to me if I may not proclaim good news;

¹⁷ for if willing I do this, I have a reward; and if unwillingly — with a stewardship I have been entrusted!

¹⁸ What, then, is my reward? — that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news;

¹⁹ for being free from all men, to all men I made myself servant, that the more I might gain;

²⁰ and I became to the Jews as a Jew, that Jews I might gain; to those under law as under law, that those under law I might gain;

²¹ to those without law, as without law — (not being without law to God, but within law to Christ) — that I might gain those without law;

²² I became to the infirm as infirm, that the infirm I might gain; to all men I have become all things, that by all means I may save some.

²³ And this I do because of the good news, that a fellow-partaker of it I may become;

²⁴ have ye not known that those running in a race — all indeed run, but one doth receive the prize? so run ye, that ye may obtain;

²⁵ and every one who is striving, is in all things temperate; these, indeed, then, that a corruptible crown they may receive, but we an incorruptible;

²⁶ I, therefore, thus run, not as uncertainly, thus I fight, as not beating air;

²⁷ but I chastise my body, and bring [it] into servitude, lest by any means, having preached to others — I myself may become disapproved.